Used 2008 Honda Civic Si Consumer Reviews
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Very Economic and fun to drive !
I simply can't get enough of this car. And it's been already a year and a half. With 30.000 I have not had one single problem. The feel of the car is very comfortable, steering wheel is very easy to turn doing so with just one finger. I average about 50 miles a day and I can honestly say that it is very economic. I like the fact that the car locks itself and alarms after maybe 30 seconds. Note that this only happens if the car if off. If is on, don't worry about leaving it on and going out for a smoke while it warms up. Great car to have if you are looking for a fast, fuel efficiency, not to expensive car !!
Love It ^_^
This is an amazing car. I bought it used, but in great shape. It's got lots of power, especially after 6,000 rpm. =] The interior is great, the seats feel amazing, and the six-speed is wonderful. It has great fuel mileage, considering the type of car it is. This car is surprisingly big on the inside, which is nice. The Si Sedan is the best car out there for the money, and it's a Honda, so it'll run forever!
- EX SedanMSRP: $7,49516 mi away
- LX SedanMSRP: $7,98820 mi away
- EX-L SedanMSRP: $6,99524 mi away
An Overall Satisfied Customer
First off, I got this car for a STEAL because it was the last '08 the dealer had on the lot. Due to this, I may think that this car is a better value than others that paid sticker. Overall, I like the car. It's fast, handles well, and looks pretty good when tinted. It's also a decent size, reliable, and pretty economical. I drive "spiritedly" often and I still get great gas mileage. The worst was 26mpg (100 mile trip on back roads in Maine = wild ride) and the best has been about 33mpg...I usually average about 29 with 50/50 highway/city. One warning if you get an Si, every punk kid in a Honda/import will want to race you. Just something you have to live with.
Wow - what a mistake
After having waited for this car, and paying for the upgrades, i feel like my money went down the drain. Day 1, pick up the car, leave the dealership, and there is a popping noise from the suspension, the cd player was broken. Took the car in found that the suspension needed to be fixed, the front tires had to be replaced and the cd player among other items. A month into ownership, the car starts making all kinds of rattles, and loud noises when coming to a stop. Cat was replaced and many clips and molding in the car. Transmission started popping out of third gear, that is still being worked on. All in all, Honda has done over 9K of warranty work on the car already!
A Good College Car
My 2008 Civic Si Coupe was a great car; but it was just a college car. It was fast, quick on its feet, had an amazing audio system, and popular with the teenage and young-twenties crowd, but it always felt unrefined. The engine provides a surprising bit of power, but only high in the rpm's, and had no down-low power. Driving it in stop-and-go traffic was a chore due to very low torque, but once you got in the 6,000 to 8,000 rpm range, it FLEW. This car is an amazing college vehicle, especially with the standard sunroof and subwoofer, but it's just unrefined. Lots of wind noise, road bumps, and interior quality hiccups (such as a ticking CD-player) prevent it from being a "professional" car.
Frequent FAILS!!!!
Struts are horrible. Repeatedly fix and you still hear a click with turns. Transmission sucks with jerky shifts till it give out and then it has nerve to cost $3000 to fix.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
2008 Si is great
This car is strictly fun to drive. You can drive it "soft" if you want to, or rev it up all the way to 8000 RPMs and fly around the corners. Easy maneuvering, great road grip, and I think relatively quiet for a "sports" car.
Big Bang for the buck
Before buying this car i test drove V6 mustangs, 350z & some other sport coupes. keeping in mind the reliability,fuel economy,resale value & price i am glad i made the right decision. Fun to drive specially when the Vtec kicks in car sounds like a Ferrari :).
Best Compromise Car
The Civic Si Sedan is probably the best combination of sport and practicality available. It combines a race-worthy 2.0L with the best shifter/clutch I've ever used. This car feels more upscale than my 2003 RSX-S was and performs at least as well. I get 27-33 mpg depending on city/hwy mix and am almost always speeding. Nice interior layout and materials.
Great little sporty car
Great little all around car. So far I've driven 8000 km. What I love most is the engine and super smooth clutch and transmission. The I-vtec is peppy paired with limited slip diff and summer tires. It loves high rpm reminds me of a sport bike. Car handles very well with little body roll. Makes an excellent commuter car if your looking for something more fun to drive than your typical Civic dx/lx/ex etc. It needs 91oct and I've been averaging 28-29 mpg mostly highway driving somewhat aggressive. The car looks great cosmetically in coupe form compared to other cars in its class. But lacks acceleration to keep up with its competition.
8th Generation Si
Overall should be very worth while, the body reminds me of the older Lotus Esprit with the long racked windshield. While having to use premium I still already see the cost savings of using this car. Mileage is always in the upper 20's - lower 30's, and this is the sports model in there line, with gas approaching $4 a gallon the couple of cents for premium out ways the difference. It handles very well, corners great, even now I am still amazed at how spunky this car is, it's not the big "Hemi-V8" but let the rpms work for you and you can fly. I see people complain there is no power, my response is you don't know how to handle the car then, and you shouldn't drive one then...
A Blast to Drive
First Honda I have owned but my 2 sons have both driven hondas. They were right about the seats, they are some of the most comfortable I have ever had in a vehicle. Almost 3000 miles so far and have averaged 30+mpg every tank. It's real hard to keep the revs under 6000. When you reach that point its almost like a turbo kicking in. Sticks to the road and takes the curves like a race car. Love to push this thing around the twists. Firm ride but not choppy, great sound system, it really rocks. I had the aero kit installed and it looks great super sporty in ralleye red. Nothing but compliments on the looks. Overall a great combination of performance and economy.
Excellent compact sports car
This car replaced a 2005 STI Impreza; before that I drove a 2001 S2000. The Civic isn't a muscle car like the STI, or a demanding, purpose-built sports car like the S2000, but it is a well executed sports coupe. It is fast when I want it to be, but it's a Civic when that's appropriate. The suspension is well tuned, the front wheel drive works surprisingly well, the brakes are reasonably good, and having the 6000- 8000 vtec power band is fun and effective. The navi system and premium stereo are both treats. All in all, a well executed package. I will keep this one for 5-7 years.
Seriously Indulging
Bought this car a little over a year ago. Still just as pleased as I was then as I am now. Car drives very well for the function that it serves, can be driven as a fuel efficient commuter or racy sports car. I, on avg, get about 24-27 MIXED mpg and when driving more conservatively I can get this up to 31-32 mpg, believe it or not. As almost everyone else says, this car is fun to drive and master. The engine note at 6000 RPMS is really cool to hear, really feels as if you're driving a more exotic sports car. In this price point some of these features are hard to beat. I drove this car to its limits after the break in period and still enjoy doing so, though not as often, fuel efficiency. :)
fuel efficient fun
I purchased SI about one month ago and I still get excited when I get to drive it. Simply a blast to drive. I came from a Nissan altima 3.5SL which was sneaky fast in a straight line but handled horribly. This car handles awesomely with only slightly less performance. This is without the summer tires. I live near St. Louis and we usually see at least some snow so opted for the all seasons. Best of all I can drive the heck out of it and get 28 mpg (yes I use the vtec). That is the lowest I have gotten since owned usually getting 29 mpg. Granted it is premium fuel, but I usually got 25 mpg with less aggressive driving in the altima. Excellent fit and finish.
Can't beat it for the money
I owned two Infiniti G35 coupes before I purchased this car (times got tough). I don't think there is a better car out there for the money. I consistently get close to 30 mpg in town and the car handles almost as well as my G35's and that is no joke. The seats are actually more comfortable than the G35's, holding you in place firmly but offering great support during longer trips. I would highly recommend this car. It looks great, it performs great, it's a blast to drive in the curvy, mountain roads near my home, the vtec motor absolutely howls from 5500-8000 rpm, it has plenty of interior room and a huge trunk. You just can't beat it with Honda's reliability to boot.
08 Si Sedan
I've owned my 2008 Si Sedan for about 3 months now, bought it used with 25,000 miles on it. It drove exactly the same as the brand new one I drove with 5 miles on it, so I save myself about $7,000. What can I say? It's a great car, I love driving it, the engine sounds awesome when over 6k RPM, and it will take spirited driving with no issues. Did an autocross event last weekend, and that was ridiculously fun. The car gets 28-30mpg, and feels faster than it is. Certainly fast enough for me. I have had no issues with the shifter, the stock stereo is decent, and the car handles great. Looks awesome too : )
Forget the LX/EX, get the Si!
Let me start by saying I currently also own an '07 civic coupe ex. Also owned an '07 civic hybrid. Traded in the hybrid for the Si after 9 months of driving boredom. Had a modified 350hp awd car prior, and thought I was over the performance bug. Well, the Si is quick enough to satisfy your desires for speed, without giving you much more than that. It's now the cheapest of the viable sport compact offerings, yet yields the best MPG, and lowest sticker price. Handling is also great and significantly better than the ex. The ex was just as much better than the civic hybrid. I put on lightweight wheels and tires and got noticeable improvement in acceleration. City/Hwy MPG has been around 25/30.
Great Fun Car, Excellent Quality
This car is so much fun to drive. I want to drive it even when I have no place to go. The style is great, performance is great from a 2.0L. Above 6K RPM the engine really comes alive. Right after I bought it, I drove from Texas to California, and I got almost 32 MPG driving an average of 85 MPH. The interior is very nice, seats are comfortable even on a 2K trip. Quick throw 6 spd shifter is a blast. I wanted a car that had good looks, good performance, and good quality. This car has it all. I will be driving this car for many years to come
Wish I still had it.
2nd worst automotive decision I've made was to sell my 2008 Si (worst was buying a 2000 Mercedes E-class for the wife). In 3 years and 75,000 miles of ownership, it was gas, oil, go. That's it. Never once did it darken the dealer service bay for anything. Window sticker says 29mpg highway and that is WAY underrated. I easily got 34-35 with the cruise set on 70, and that was with 10% ethanol fuel. Real gas gave me as high as 37mpg once. With the HFP suspension and Michelin Pilot Sports, this was the best handling car I've ever owned. Other cars may be faster (GTI, WRX, Mazdaspeed 3), but the Si is absolutely THE BEST blend of comfort, performance, reliability and economy.
The Honda Civic Si is a great car
Initially I looked at a lot of cars. This one was at the bottom of my list. I compared it to the Mazda Speed 3 and a Subaru WRX. The engine revs very smoothly in this car but the power when it reached 6,000 rpms is really amazing. The shifter on the Si is buttery smooth. It drives very well even in the snow. I put Nokian tires on it for winter and it goes just great in snow. My wife really likes driving this car so with all that we bought it.
Well rounded sport sedan
After test driving and getting prices on the new Saturn Astra, VW GTI 5- door, and Mazda3 5-door, this Civic just is a better overall package and has the bullet proof Honda reliability to boot. I've owned the car for about two weeks now, but put 2,000 miles on it already. My wife and I took it two days after buying it on our vacation from Ohio to North and South Carolina. The performance and specifically the handling on this car are outstanding. Snicky 6-speed manual, point and shoot steering, and good throttle response make the Si a wonderful road car. The four door practicality means our two kids ride along in comfort too. Just watch out for the front buckets on long trips. Ouch.
Civic Si is too much fun
Bought this Si about a week ago and have had a hard time leaving it parked. This car brought the biggest smile to my face that any car has given. Not only do you get amazing performance, but going down the highway I averaged 33 mpg. I haven't had it for very long, but this car is one of the best deals I have ever gotten on a car and it is by far the most fun I have had in one.
Best car driven to date
Bought this car for my wife and haven't stopped driving it. It is definitely a step up from the Ex model civic with lots of extra power. The seats hug your back with comfort while it handles with ease. Feels faster than the Mazda 3 and accelerates harder also. For the price you cant beat it. This car seats my family of 4 comfortably and is excellent on gas. One day I'll let my wife drive it.
Si is Awesome!!
This car rocks!! I traded in an 06 Corolla for this and what a difference. The shifting is smooth, and man does this thing go. I like the interior design. Everything is easy to reach and the two-tiered dash is pretty cool. Lots of standard features, and at a reasonable price.
Very Well Rounded Car
This car offers a great deal for your money. It's not the fastest on the road, but it's a real treat to drive. The build quality is top notch. It drives very different from other cars I've owned...you must get up to about 6000 RPM to tap into the real power. But once you do, it really takes off. This car is a good compromise for someone wanting a sports car and a small family car.
Sweet Ride
Don't believe those reviews of the car being anything less than great. Honda consistently builds solidly built products. This car really is a joy. I am a college student, so the extra space afforded by the 4 door is helpful, although if anyone is not restricted by space I would recommend the coupe. It is far more attractive and I will most likely go for that when the lease is up. The car is quite low on torque to be honest, but one the cams switch over the car really becomes a beast and the sound is beautiful. If you do not like revving up your engine past 6k then you will never enjoy this car, and you might as well look elsewhere. Great ride, smooth, reliable, decently quick.
Nice change
Purchased first Honda car after years of owning Corollas. Was looking for a four door with more power, and great gas mileage. Purchased the car due to its many performance, safety features and its low price. I am satisfied with the vehicles performance, and have been getting 30 mpg. I could use more room in the front seat, but I am 6'3'' 250 lbs. Car has many blind spots. Overall, it seems to be a solid car, nice combination of ride/ handling. Easily accelerates to highway speeds. Peace of mind with the standard side curtain air bags. The interior dash is different but a nice change.
Honda is a waste!
My purchasing process at the dealer was great but not until i drove it out of the dealer (purchased on 11/23/07). Imagine having a service for your car the 1st day you buy it, that's what I experienced for a hose blowing off the coolant system. Now i have another problem took my car in 6/13/08 had a engine light on and they replaced coils and plugs and again 6/14/08 took it again for service because it had an engine light on again and the tech told me that i red lined the car, they had to adjust the valves and cost me $216. Now on 6/27/08 my engine broke down in the highway and now they tell me that Honda won't cover anything because of the past history of redlining the car. Limiting that it was my prob
Performance
This import is very fun to drive, especially at high speeds. It handles just like a sport car and feels like one. It is highly economical in terms of gas mileage.
An excellent compromise
What a fun car. Excellent compromise of cost, utility and fun. Great handling, good comfort, good engine performance. Best fun per dollar I've ever had in a car. Only thing I don't like is the tendency of the engine to hold up revs when off-throttle while shifting.
Incredible Smiles per gallon
After two years of driving, I compare the Si with few small sports cars. The retail price was tuff but it was cheap club membership. I have driven and ridden wheeled rockets from Kawa H1 to a 500Hp Chevelle 396 and this is the best combination of control and power that I have ever had. Highway driving is so smooth and artificial limits are an issue. The key to satisfaction is keeping the RPM at 4k with the fantastic 6 spd tranny. I regularly get at worst 26MPG and at best 32mpg at 80+ mph. 350 watts of music drowns out the background road noise. The pavement surface has a lot to do with ambient noise level.
Fun Little Car!
I have had this car a couple week now and i love driving it everyday. This is the second SI I've own and really like Honda vehicles. The 4door sedan has enough room for my family of 4 with 2 car seats in back. I have been getting on average about 27 MPG and that is with some hard driving every now and then. The beauty about the car is that you can have a fuel economy car and then rev the engine a little higher and get a quick ride. The engine sounds great when your get above 5000 rpm. The 2 tier dash takes a little getting used to but definitely stands out from the crowd. The premium stereo sounds pretty darn good and the interior has a nice fit and finish. Very happy with my SI.
I had forgotten driving could be fun!
I have wanted to purchase a Honda for a long time & always ended up buying something else because you could get more "amenities" for the money. Then I bought a Volkswagon Jetta VR6 & got a LEMON! Forget about amenities! This car is awesome. I was worried about driving a car with a manual transmission after driving automatics for 10+ years. No problem, this car makes it fun.
All Around Winner!
I've had this car now for 1 month and 1300 miles, and I'm loving it. You won't find a better combination of acceleration, handling, looks, reliability, and practicality at the 20k price point. I always look forward to driving it. For a 2.0 L 4cyl with only a rated 139 lb-ft of torque, the pull even from low rpm in any of the first 4 gears is surprisingly strong. Wind it out to 7-8k rpm and you feel like your driving a F1 race car! This car is every bit as quick and much more nimble than the V6 '02 Maxima it replaced. I've experienced 28-29 mpg thus far, which I feel is plenty decent given the performance this car delivers. I'd recommend it to anyone!
One of the best in class
I love this car. I love it when the engine hits the 6000- 8200 rpm. It makes me want to Pound it everywhere I go, and I still get 24 mpg. The transmission is smooth. Some people complain about third gear but I haven't had any problems. I would like to have more power, but who doesn't. The one thing about this car you have to be in the right gear to get the most out of the engine. Not a perfect car but very fun to drive.
Kudos to Honda!
This si sedan is almost everything I hoped it would be. It's dangerously fun to drive (got pulled over day after I picked it up...be careful!). It handles better than some cars way out of it's price range. rRdes a bit stiff, but that's expected from a performance suspension. I love the exhaust note at pretty much any engine speed. It sounds menacing. But the best part about driving this car is the instant thrust and hieghtened exhaust note that you feel and hear at 6000+rpm. It's like somebody let a mad dog out. Pure adrenaline!
This car is starting to fall apart.
I've owned this car for 7 months now. This car pretty much seemed problem free up until when the weather gets really hot. Squeaks and rattles appear to come alive throughout the interior and pinpointing the area is difficult. Both sun visors came apart in the heat and failed to stay up. A/C condensation spills into the passenger interior instead of outside. Interior is very easy to scrape/scratch/scuff. Interior fabric and door panels will start to fade in the Summer sun. As for the driving aspect, clutch squeak, gear shifting hits a wall (all gears) and a/c belt squeak is becoming a common recurrence. Pedestrians will get lost in the large blind spots and the throttle response lags.
Best N/A car under 25K
This car handles great with LSD. Acceleration was nothing spectacular when not pushed but it was very smooth in the process. I really liked the futuristic spaceship design on the exterior and interior. It really does stand out from the crowd and yes, you do get stares when sitting in traffic as if they're seeing a UFO. I've also noticed that this car has huge blindspots all around. Exhaust note is nice during warmer days and sounds droning during colder days even with the car fully warmed up. Ergonomics are excellent as it is driver-oriented. Driving impressions of this car is that it is a race car without a race car price tag.
Si forever
The sound of that v-tec when you hit 6000 rpm, puts a smile on my face every time. This was my first brand new car and I absolutely love it. Would have liked to get the vehicle in white but settled for silver, I still get compliments on its style, people always think its an Acura. Premium fuel only adds about $2-3 per fill up. so stop reading this review and go get one today, they're awesome! Also, go for navigation, mine is std. and I regret not upgrading.
2008 Civic Si
I have a recently purchased Civic Si Sedan and hav a little over five hundred miles on it. Overall it's a great little car that's practical. It seats my wife and I plus our two small kids well, with room to spare in tthe trunk. I handles great especially with the summer tires. My only couple of beefs with the car is the first 5 minutes of warm up, It wants to buck in first or second gears until it warms up. It just annoying, you would have thought Honda could have reprogrammed the ECM to fix this. I've heard from other message boards this was due to something emissions rated, whatever it is very annoying. My other beef is the auto door locking function.
So Much Fun
As a recent college grad, this was my first new car purchase. I spent months (literally) trying to find a something fun/practical/economical/sporty/stylish /etc. all wrapped into one. Before, I drove a '95 Mazda Millenia which was great. My first Honda experience has been amazing so far. I was warned the Si was a true sports car. This is not a lie. Gears 2 through 5 really have some power, especially in the higher RPM's (redlines at 8000). With a little time, the clutch is fairly user friendly. Navigation system is easy to use and the sound system is better than advertised (built in sub really kicks hard). I bought this car to have some fun and so far Honda has delivered.
Couldn't Be Happier
Traded in a gas-guzzling SUV for my Civic Si and couldn't be happier. I love the small steering wheel, relatively short throw shifter, exhaust sound and the handling. Seeing how well it handles the ride is actually fairly comfortable for this type of car. The exhaust isn't loud and weed-eater-like but it has a nice hum to it at 6000rpm's. I've been averaging around 32 mpg @ 75 mph.
Best bang for your buck
It was between this car or a 4dr GTI. The ride is amazing. The handling is perfect and responsive. I was in an Altima SER, so going from 261 to 197hp I'm going to have to say it is slow. It has good pick up and it's hard to red-line :). The nav is worth it. I'm a pilot so I have a good sense of direction... thought I'd never use it. Once I played around with it for a while and studied up on it I really learned to enjoy it. The tires could be a little stickier. I do a lot of city driving and I'm getting about 24mpg average and I am shifting around 4500 to 5000 rpm on average. I use the car.
Bang for the buck!
I've been having nothing but fun driving this car. Moved from a civic EX to the Si. No regrets whatsoever...so far. Of course, I'm taking a hit on MPG, but not nearly as bad as I thought. On the road, my scan gauge is averaging 35 mpg each day. That's mostly highway. But is this fun to drive. Makes my daily commute much more enjoyable. Bought it new for $18,129. Excellent price!! And it's great looking. Really happy with the deal.
Si Sedan
Fantastic car for the money. It's hard to have more fun for 20k. When driving hard, it just begs you to drive harder and punish it more! DON'T SHIFT!! Keep those RPM's climbin!!! Torque only kicks in after 5000 rpms which is its major and pretty much only flaw. 6spd manual is smooth with short throws and ability to slam gears with ease. Handling is a little snug but I experience a small amount of understeer at higher speeds. Steering firm and precise. Sound system caught me by surprise (standard sub-woofer) is actually good and ipod hook-up makes me forget about the 50lb cd case to lug around.
2008 SI 4dr
The SI is all that I hoped for. Its fun, its practical, and best of all, it sounds orgasmic when you fondle the accelerator in any gear. Even cruising around town you hear the moan of the Farrier sounding exhaust. Some may ask if its worth the extra cost than the EX, the answer is yes. You do have to rev it to get all the HP out of it, but the car sounds like it has no problem going to 8000rpm. Even in the low rpms its peppy and pleasing. Its roomy enough to fit my 6'5" frame. You will not find a better value in this class than the SI.
Who needs a Porshe for FUN!
I have driven mostly luxury cars (BMW 325, IS250) and after 3 months still can't believe how great this car is. I have to remind myself I am in a economy car. Well-mannered, fast, comfortable. I get more looks than I did in my lux cars. Yes, I opted for the loaded SI/NAV and added blk leather, tinted windows. Civic SI is bringing sexy back! And valet guys fight to park it.
Nice Car for the $$$
Getting rid of my Tacoma due to gas prices was hard. Best truck made. As sad as it is to say , you can't go wrong with a Honda or Toyota and with gas prices soaring, the Civic is much better looking than the Corolla. Yes, they both make cars with better gas mileage, but you still have to like what you drive. That's why I chose the Civic Si. I've only owned it for about a week, but the engineering is second to none. Some of the interior parts are a little cheap, but what do you want for $21,500? Great car if you're looking for fuel economy and still want some performance. Just know: you have to use premium fuel, so that negates some of your fuel savings.
very nice
I love my new Civic because you can chill with it and get great gas mileage or you can give it hell and still get pretty good gas mileage, and it is fun to hit the gas. The interior design is tight esp. With the navi. Overall great car.